Gender.Stereotype.Experiment

Comment: Discuss one stand-out idea from Cris Mayo's presentation.

Make an Update: Raise an issue about technology and gender. Provide examples and discuss implications.

I wish to discuss TWO topics from Chris Mayo's presentations that are ESPECIALLY relevant , given the recent Covid-19 / Coronavirus pandemic, around the world.

The FIRST topic is the DIGITAL DIVIDE. I have attached a link to a Time Magazine article , from today. ( 3/15/2020 ) As schools around the world are closing for an unknown length of time, and moving to an 'on-line ' model, many students without access to reliable internet may be left behind. 

https://time.com/5803355/schools-coronavirus-internet-access/

The digital divide is especially wide for students from a rural background, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/31/digital-gap-between-rural-and-nonrural-america-persists/

The recent crisis has been a boost of ' free advertising ' for the ZOOM video-conferencing company and that companies CEO has pledged his product for free to under-served areas without access to reliable internet.

https://tinyurl.com/reya2sc

The SECOND topic is GENDER STEREOTYPES & Technology. 

I teach IB Psychology & Sociology to high school students and i came across an experiment entilted " When Stereotypes Collide " . It looked at Asian, as well as Gender stereotypes in the Tech World. 

https://www.london.edu/think/when-stereotypes-collide

THE RESULTS of the experiment are below.

The results: The applicants received the most positive ratings, and were ranked as the most hirable, when their Asian identity was front and center. In contrast, they placed at the bottom of both of those rankings when their gender was emphasized.

In addition, their recommended salary was an average of $2,267 more per year for an applicant who emphasized her Asian ancestry, over one who emphasized her gender.

This study suggests that more needs to be done to address uconscious bias in the HR dept. when hiring for tech jobs. 

Finally, , during my research, i came across the website - 

https://girlswhocode.com/

It looks to be a successful effort to address gender sterotypes in technology, at the ' grassroots level' 

pdf with image/content on both digital divide & gender stereotypes in tech

Digital.Divide.Coronavirus

ZOOM.CEO.coronavirus.digital.divide